Felted Slip Stitch Tote

Felted Slip Stitch Tote by Michele Bernstein

Project Overview

The Felted Slip Stitch Tote is a beginner-friendly knitted bag project designed by Michele Bernstein. This downloadable PDF pattern provides instructions for creating a structured tote bag with a felted finish, combining fundamental knitting techniques with decorative slip stitch colorwork. The finished bag measures approximately 10 inches tall with a 4" x 9" base, making it a practical accessory suitable for everyday use.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a knitted tote bag featuring a flat rectangular base and tall sides. The bag is constructed to be felted after knitting, which creates a durable, textured fabric with a finished appearance. The slip stitch colorwork adds visual interest through strategic color changes worked into the body of the bag.

Construction Techniques

The Felted Slip Stitch Tote employs several key knitting techniques:

• Flat Knitting: The base begins with flat knitting worked back and forth in garter stitch, creating a rectangular foundation measuring 4" x 9"
• Garter Stitch: The initial 36 rows of garter stitch create 18 ridges on the right side, which serve as pickup points for the sides of the bag
• Circular Knitting: After the base is completed, stitches are picked up around all edges and the bag is worked in the round using a marker to denote the beginning of each round
• Slip Stitch Colorwork: The body of the bag features decorative slip stitch patterns that incorporate color changes, creating visual texture without requiring complex color manipulation techniques
• Felting: The finished knitted piece undergoes a felting process that transforms the knitted fabric into a more durable, structured material

Stitches Used

This beginner pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches accessible to newer knitters:

• Garter Stitch: Created by knitting every row when working flat, forming horizontal ridges on both sides of the fabric
• Knit Stitch: The basic knit stitch forms the foundation of the pattern and appears throughout the construction
• Purl Stitch: Purl stitches are worked in alternating rounds to create texture and definition in the bag body
• Slip Stitch: Stitches are slipped purlwise to create the decorative colorwork pattern without adding bulk to the fabric
• Pickup Stitches: New stitches are picked up and knitted along the edges of the garter stitch base to form the sides of the bag

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Felted Slip Stitch Tote is worked in worsted weight wool, which provides excellent results for felting. The pattern requires two 100-gram balls of worsted weight yarn in the main color (MC), each containing 160 yards, plus one ball of a contrasting color (Color A) for the slip stitch colorwork. Worsted weight yarn is an ideal choice for this project because it felts reliably and creates a sturdy finished fabric suitable for a functional tote bag.

The pattern does not specify needle size in the provided excerpt, though standard needles appropriate for worsted weight yarn would typically be used. Knitters should refer to the complete PDF pattern for specific needle recommendations and any additional materials needed for finishing and felting the completed bag.

Difficulty Level

Rated as a beginner project, this tote bag is accessible to knitters new to the craft. The pattern employs straightforward stitches and construction methods, making it an excellent introduction to bag knitting. The slip stitch colorwork adds visual sophistication while remaining manageable for developing knitters, and the felting process helps create a polished final product that disguises minor tension variations.